Waynesville community coping with the loss of 'two of its own'

Saturday

Aug 10, 2013 at 3:01 PM

The Waynesville community is coping with the loss of two of its citizens from what officials are calling a 100-year flood.

The Waynesville community is coping with the loss of two of its citizens from what officials are calling a 100-year flood.The body of Jessica Lee, 23, of Waynesville, was found about 7 p.m. Friday night on the Roubidoux River in downtown Waynesville.According to a press release from the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, Lee had been missing since she and her 4-year-old son, Elyjah, were "swept from their vehicle in raging flood waters" on the morning of Aug. 6.Firefighers found Lee's body a few yards from the Roubidoux River Bridge on Friday. Elyjah's body was recovered in Waynesville on the day of the incident.According to a previous report from The Daily Guide, police recovered the vehicle shortly after the child's body was found in Mitchell Creek.Lee was able to make a 911 call and spoke to a relative on her cell phone, notifying both parties she and her child were in peril.Waynesville Mayor Luge Hardman said Lee was a 2008 graduate of Waynesville High School and a single mother."She was on her way to daycare to drop off her son," the mayor said. "It was like the perfect storm. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time."This was a true flash flood," she continued. "We don't have an official declaration yet, but we are hearing that this could be a 500-year flood. We are sure it's a 100-year and maybe even a 200-year."On Saturday afternoon, Hardman said there had been 64 water rescues and six injuries reported along with the two deaths.But for this "rookie mayor," losing two of her own citizens has not been easy."Jessica was found about 200 yards from the funeral home where her (Elyjah) was," Hardman said, choking on tears. "So the family was saying it was like she was trying to get back to her little boy."I think our community has wrapped their arms around this family. Jessica has become our sister and our daughter, and Ely is our little boy."Hardman has ordered that flags be placed at half staff beginning Monday until Lee's funeral/.Meanwhile, efforts to bring the city back to normal continue.A Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) will be open at Westside Baptist Church in Waynesville on Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The MARC will offer community-related organizations to assist with disaster-related needs, according to the city's Facebook page.All disaster survivors are encouraged to register with the American Red Cross at 866-815-2738.For additional information on disaster assistance, contact the local office of the Red Cross office at 573-774-2169.